The BlackTies - Sydney Magician Hire Experts

Most people have never hired a magician before and thus have no clue about cost. With our industry experience, we at The BlackTies would like to make this process easier for you - below is our first-hand pricing research. We hope you can find the right magician for your budget and avoid being taken a ride for!

Sydney Roving Magician Prices

From our experience, Sydney roving magicians can be classified into 3 different pricing groups.

Tier 1 - $400 - $700 per hour

This lower price tier consists of entry level magicians or hobbyists. The cheaper price is offered for exposure or simply working experience. These magicians are by no means terrible, they just lack the real world performing experience or demand to charge higher prices. They are a fine pick for an adequate lower budget small event.

Tier 2 - $700 - $1300 per hour

At this price point, you can guarantee you are getting an industry standard magician with plentiful performing experience. From our inquiries, this is the average market price for a magician that have not only mastered their sleight of hand, but are extremely competent in their people skills. This is the price point that The BlackTies operates at, and we find it is a happy medium for the average wedding, 40th birthday or EOY corporate event.

Tier 3 - $1300+ per hour

To be honest, in terms of entertainment value, you will not notice much of a difference between Sydney magicians at the tier 2 and tier 3 level. What’s our basis for this bold claim? - Our performers are constantly on the hunt to compare themselves with other magicians in the Sydney area, and we get to see them perform a lot! Magicians on this tier justify their prices based on the level of demand for their services and their exclusivity (e.g. Celebrity / TV experience / decades of experience). Essentially, a premium fee for exclusivity or fame. This tier of magician has its own demand: high end, high budget corporate events who want the best of the best in the industry.

Note: Some magicians will charge a ‘flat-fee’ / appearance rate, regardless of the hours performed. These ‘flat-fee’s usually translate to a similar hourly rate to the above tiers.

Price fluctuations - Event Type, Travel costs and Seasonality

Whilst we at The BlackTies have not found a need to do so, many magicians and entertainment agencies will vary their prices to meet different demands during seasons. (E.g. A party near Christmas season on a Saturday night will be a much higher price than a party on the 2nd of March in the morning).

From conducting inquiries with 20 local magicians, we have found that travel costs vary greatly between each magician in the Sydney region. The cost of travel is sometimes just the price of the fuel, and in other times it is the opportunity for the lost time travelling. Unfortunately the variation is too great to breakdown here.

The BlackTies does not charge additional travel cost for events within a 100km radius of the Sydney CBD.

Sydney Stage Magic Show Prices

Whilst roving magic prices are quite standardised in the Sydney area, stage show prices have a much higher range, simply because there is a larger range of stage show types that can be performed. For example, shows in Sydney range from a smaller scale mini show to a huge fire / sexy girls grand illusion show. As a result, stage show prices in the Sydney area can range from as low as $500 for 30 minutes to as a high as $10,000+ for 30 minutes. Your best bet is to ask the magician to briefly describe what will be performed and consider whether you believe it is worth it for what you are trying to achieve.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the key is to find a magician that understands your needs and can flex around your budget. Whilst there is indeed a huge range of price points, its important to find someone that matches your calibre of event.

You may also be wondering whether hiring a magician is justified given the other lower cost entertainment options such as a DJ, a caricature artist or a band. You may find our article here, helpful for that.

Note: This article was written based on first hand price and quality investigations of the top 20 Sydney magicians and agencies. You may contact us at events@theblackties.com.au if you have any queries regarding the sources or information.